Last month one of the most notable events in the SEO world was the
release of the latest version of the Google Panda update – Panda 4.0.
The release was started in 20th May, as Google’s Matt Cutts tweeted:
Looking at the long list with Panda 4.0 losers, makes it hard to believe that websites like eBay.com and Ask.com got hit by the update. Yet, there are dozens of websites that experience strong traffic boost, so this is actually the first Panda update where there are websites that actually get a ranking boost.
After the release of the Panda 4.0 update, I think its time to make a
recap on the exact type of websites that got hit and most importantly
find out why this happened.
Although, content syndication is a great way to publish even more content on your website, its recommended to place cross-domain cannonical tags to the original source of the publication. This can definitely save you the hassle from becoming a victim of Panda 4.0 or other versions of this update. Also its highly recommended to place links to the original publication within the post itself.
Beside the technical setup, its also highly recommended to create a content strategy and start publishing valuable and unique pieces of information on your website yourself. Furthermore, always keep an eye on the ratio between syndicated content and orginal content since this is a red flag for Google.
Nowadays, SEO is rapidly becoming part of the overall user experience provided on the website, so if you want to recover from the Panda 4.0 update, you need to seriously rethink your content strategy and produce valuable insights for your visitors.
Looking at the long list with Panda 4.0 losers, makes it hard to believe that websites like eBay.com and Ask.com got hit by the update. Yet, there are dozens of websites that experience strong traffic boost, so this is actually the first Panda update where there are websites that actually get a ranking boost.
Who is on the Panda 4.0 Radar?
Duplicate Content Caused by Syndication
Since the Panda algorithm is designed to target websites with thin or duplicate content, its not surprising that the new Panda 4.0 took down many websites syndicating content.Although, content syndication is a great way to publish even more content on your website, its recommended to place cross-domain cannonical tags to the original source of the publication. This can definitely save you the hassle from becoming a victim of Panda 4.0 or other versions of this update. Also its highly recommended to place links to the original publication within the post itself.
Beside the technical setup, its also highly recommended to create a content strategy and start publishing valuable and unique pieces of information on your website yourself. Furthermore, always keep an eye on the ratio between syndicated content and orginal content since this is a red flag for Google.
Low Quality Content
SEO experts never seem to stop talking about low quality content and how important it is to avoid it all costs. However, it seems that only few webmasters actually listen to that advice. When creating really valuable content, ask yourself the following questions:- Does your articles help your visitors in any way?
- Do they contain extensive information on the subject?
- Does your content inspire your readers to take action?
Too Many Ads
Believe it or not placing too many ads on your website will not increase your earnings, but instead can cause serious drops in traffic. Websites having too many ads above the fold or in overall are being penalized by the Panda 4.0. In general you should keep your ads to no more than 2 per page – this is not only good for Google, but also visitors are more likely to become interested in the advertised product and click on the ad.What to do if hit by Panda 4.0?
If your website matches any of the factors used by the Google Panda algorithm, then you are likely to lose large percentage of your organic traffic. The main thing do is roll-up your sleeves and start digging for low quality/duplicate content. Once you identify the main sources, you can then start creating better or improve the old content to boost its rankings.Nowadays, SEO is rapidly becoming part of the overall user experience provided on the website, so if you want to recover from the Panda 4.0 update, you need to seriously rethink your content strategy and produce valuable insights for your visitors.
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